January 7, 2018

The architect is currently working on making the changes to the preliminary design which were discussed in last week’s meeting with the building committee.

December 31, 2017

Members of the Building Committee met with the architect on Thursday, December 28 to discuss changes to the preliminary design based on feedback from those who attended the recent presentations given over the last month.

A Letter to the Parish on October 30, 2017

We are on the precipice of an exciting time in St. Helen Catholic Church history. The next year of our Lord, 2018, marks St. Helen’s 125th year. Remembering the legacy of our founding 10 families, we honor their foresight in building our church that has been a beacon to Catholics in our region for 125 years and is now home to over 250 families. It is time again to make a bold step forward in the development of our church.

Building upon the rich and blessed history of our parish, in January 2018, we will begin a capital campaign to fund the building of a new rectory along with two storage rooms used to house both kitchen supplies, tables and chairs, etc. We are excited to announce our goal of $330,000 and with an already pledged donation of $100,000, we are already one-third of our way to completion.

The new 2,400-square-foot St. Helen rectory and 2 storage rooms combining for almost-500-square feet will all be located behind the parish center. The rectory will have the capacity to house up to four priests and be completely up-to-code. As our priests’ offices and the church classrooms are already housed at the parish center, we believe having the rectory adjacent to their working space gives better proximity.

Starting in January, all our second collections will be put into a Rectory Building Fund. If you wish to give a gift before the end of the 2017 calendar year for personal tax purposes, the money will be held in the Rectory Building Fund. As you prayerfully consider a gift toward the capital campaign, we will update you with information, including displaying architectural renderings at St. Helen Church as they become available. Due to the blessing of the $100,000 initial gift, we will be able to begin construction in early spring of 2018, upon the approval of the Archdiocese of Louisville.

Any questions or comments may be forwarded to parish and finance council member, Bryan Baysinger at 270-651-2663 (work) or 270-590-5368 (cell).

A Letter to the Parish on October 9, 2017

Since January, the Building Committee, Finance Council and Parish Council have been analyzing the feasibility study results and formulating plans to address both our present situation and the desire to grow our parishes.

Highlights from the feasibility study include recommendations to update our parish membership rosters, provide information about estate gift giving and stewardship, and improve communication of the parishes’ financial positions.

Regarding a capital campaign to build a new church, it was determined our St. Helen parish community could raise between $500,000 - $750,000, with gifts and commitments fulfilled over a three-year period. That potential amount is much less than the cost of building a new church and rectory, which was estimated at $1.6 million. This presents us with the need to rethink our initial plan to build both a new church and rectory for St. Helen at the same time.

That being said, a generous benefactor has offered a matching gift of $100,000 to build a new rectory for the priests serving St. Helen and Our Lady of the Caves. Thus, the Building Committee proposes beginning a capital campaign to first build a new rectory adjacent to the parish center. Ultimately, a new rectory, church building, parish offices, classrooms would all be conveniently located at one site. The parish council is asking everyone to pray about this proposal. More information will be forthcoming. Questions or further recommendations may be forwarded to Bryan Baysinger, parish council and finance council member: 270-590-5368 or 270-651-2663.

With joy we celebrate that due to the intercession of St. Joseph and the generosity of multiple benefactors, we are now able to begin the sanctuary of Our Lady of the Caves. We will keep you updated as progress continues.